Schotte: “Your SVB card does not pay for cold medication or eye drops”

WILLEMSTAD – According to the leader of the opposition party MFK, Gerrit Schotte, the Social Insurance Bank (SVB) does not pay for cold medication anymore, neither for eye drops. This was decided by the government since July 3 of this year.

“The coalition and their government had a show last Monday in parliament with the reparation of the basic health insurance law,” Schotte said.

According to the MP, the members of this coalition are fooling the people with their law of reparation after 19 months of introducing the basic health insurance law.

“While they present a law to fix the first one that was introduced in 2013 and that went completely wrong, the government has made the decision to eliminate your possibility to use your SBV card to purchase cold medication and also eye drops. This means that the reduction of the premium has gone hand in hand with a new measure, which means that you have to pay for your own cold medicines and eye drops,” Schotte said.

“If you want your eye medication, this has to go through an eye doctor and those are not easy to get an appointment with.”

The MP also stated that Curaçao is an island with one of the most common illnesses. Every day doctors have to treat patients who suffer from a cold and now the government has stopped covering the medication for this illness. “They will tell you that the list of medications that were eliminated will not cure a cold or your eye problems, but it is obvious that they have done this to save the government millions of guilders,” said the MFK leader.

“Our economy is stagnant and every day again we are losing more jobs. 4 pharmacies have already closed their doors and it seems as though there will be a fifth soon. The economy is not being managed right now. 24 months of this current government and a Curaçao with 10,000 people without jobs. This is increasing by the day.”

In his statement, Schotte says that this is a hard hit for the working class. “Once more another hit to those who are underprivileged in our country.”